In New Jersey, dangerous fireworks, which include sparklers, roman candles and firecrackers, are illegal, police said.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said they are not only trying to get the message out that fireworks are illegal, but also the dangers associated with them. Golden said that around the Fourth of July holiday in 2012 there were 15 emergency calls to the county dispatch center related to fireworks and 20 calls in 2011.

“It is an awareness message, particularly those that are from out of state that come here where maybe it’s legal in their state, but it’s illegal in New Jersey,” Golden said.

Golden estimated that the county gets a couple dozen reports of fireworks around the Fourth of July each year. He also said that people should be aware of the consequences of having fireworks, which could carry a fine or jail time.

“We try to enforce it as best we can with the amount of manpower that we have but it’s a challenge on July 4th itself just because of the sheer numbers of fireworks that go off on July 4th weekend,” Golden said.

Long Branch Public Safety Director Jason Roebuck said that with Oceanfest at the shore the department has about 100 additional police officers on duty. Roebuck said that the influx of people at the shore does not make it more difficult to enforce fireworks.

“If you do bring them and we find them, they will be taken and you will be arrested,” Roebuck said.

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In Ocean Township, which Faller said does not have a large transient population on a daily or weekly basis, there are extra patrols on duty for the holiday.

“We pretty much have a zero tolerance,” said Faller, while recognizing that it can sometimes be difficult to enforce and do use discretion with each situation.

For example, some of the illegal items, such as sparklers, are popular with children. Faller said police officers use common sense with enforcement in these situations and try to educate parents on the dangers associated with the dangers of fireworks.

“We don’t want anybody injured or dying from these things,” he said.

Other police departments in the county, including Middletown and Englishtown, also put out messages reminding residents that fireworks are illegal and dangerous, and should be left to the professionals.